Dannevirke: Gardens open during craft exhibition

Pongaroa artist Brenda Murdoch, with one of the artworks she will have in the craft group's exhibition and sale which opens on Friday.

This weekend three country gardens and homes at Pongaroa will be open for the first time in three years, complementing the local craft group's exhibition and sale which opens on Friday.

Two of the gardens are on Route 52, while the third is a new garden in the township, recently developed by Heather Monk.

"My garden is small and very new and just two years ago when I arrived here there was only an apple tree," she told the Dannevirke News. "And like all gardeners I've been fighting the wind and frost."

A corner of Heather Monk's new garden in the Pongaroa village, one of three open with the craft and art exhibition.

Heather said she hadn't anticipated the last frost which sent her back to the garden centre for replacement plants to ensure her garden was ready for this weekend's open days.

Along with the gardens the three homes will be decorated in a Christmas theme and open to the public too.

Chris Thompson's Route 52 garden is a large, country space.

"She's a planting girl," Heather said.

The other garden on Route 52 is Penelope Tinsley's. Penelope and her husband came from Auckland and purchased Heather's former property and is quickly turning it into her own, with further development, helped by her husband.

The gardens will be open from 10am to 4pm this Saturday and from 10am to 3pm on Sunday, with a gold coin donation.

Pongaroa's craft exhibition and sale opens with a wine and cheese event on Friday night and is open again Saturday, 10am to 5pm and Sunday, 10am to 2pm with various craft and artworks for sale. Entry is a gold coin donation.